The present invention relates generally to telecommunications services and more particularly to the development and implementation of telecommunications services.
Various telecommunications services are commonly available to customers within a telecommunications system or network. Computer readable code is often used in conjunction with these telecommunications systems and networks to provide the telecommunications services to the customers. The computer readable code is typically used in conjunction with a network element, such as a switch or some other type of computer, and serves to provide a series of commands that enable the network element to perform the functions necessary to implement the telecommunications services. The network elements often utilize a specialized protocol, such as signaling system 7 (SS7) or a proprietary protocol, to communicate with one another, in order to implement a service.
The code used to implement the various services is typically developed by a programmer using software-based creation tools, which commonly include Service Independent Building Blocks (SIBBs), and a computer such as a personal computer. Such software-based creation tools are available from switch vendors such as Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks. While creation tools facilitate the development of code needed to implement the service, their utility is limited in that the tools themselves, and in some cases the protocols used therein, are proprietary and are not open and published. Accordingly, only those with specialized knowledge of these tools and protocols can effectively create the code needed to implement new services. These individuals are typically employed by a hardware vendor or by a telecommunications company.
Also, multiple different protocols can be concurrently used within a single telecommunication system. Accordingly, the code used to implement the telecommunications services must be written so that it is compatible with all of the different protocols used within the telecommunications system. Thus, when a new service is introduced within a telecommunications system, multiple versions of the computer readable code used to implement the service must be created so that the service can be implement by the various elements within the network. In addition, when a new service is implemented, existing code that resides in different portions of the system may also require modification to work with the new service. For example, software used in conjunction with billing elements within the system may require modification in order to work with the new service. The creation of multiple versions of code needed to implement a new service as well as the modification of existing code to work in conjunction with the new service can be time consuming.
Before any code can be implemented in a telecommunications system, it must first be tested to ensure that it works as intended. Only after the testing has been completed can the code be implemented in the telecommunications system. Each of the different versions needed to work in conjunction with various types of hardware used by telecommunications providers must be individually tested. The testing of the various code versions and modifications is time consuming.
All of these inefficiencies increase the time needed to develop and implement a new telecommunications service. A system and method for developing telecommunications services that overcome these deficiencies are needed.